Members of the West Melbourne PD, Palm Bay PD and Brevard County Fire Rescue give 140 kids in south Brevard a chance to 'Shop with a Cop' Thursday at Walmart. Video by Craig Bailey. Posted Dec. 14, 2017.

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Palm Bay police officer Hilda Benedith shops with Arianna and Corey Peacock Thursday morning at Walmart. More than 150 kids got the chance to shop for Christmas presents during 'Operation Reindeer Run' at Walmart on Palm Bay Road. Officers from West Melbourne and Palm Bay police departments, along with Brevard County Fire Rescue treated kids to a breakfast and Christmas shopping (Photo: Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY)Buy Photo

Giving out Batman or Luke Skywalker action figures and sipping hot cocoa with children isn't simply for officers to provide warm feelings once a year.

Instead, many of Brevard County law enforcement agencies holding "shop with a cop" events and other toy giveaways say Christmas is just a higher profile for their year-round efforts to connect with their communities.

"Every month we have a different outreach to engage our community, to show we care and that we want to help," Cocoa Police Officer Chris Hattaway said as hundreds of children gathered for the Dec. 9 Florida East Coast Rail Toy Train stop. "It's the normal time of year to give a gift, but we try to give to the community 365 days a year."

For some of the departments, the programs stemmed from law enforcement leaders recognizing the need in their community.

Nationally, police departments have found themselves in recent years at the center of criticism. Questions over police tactics and a series of high-profile shooting incidents have moved agencies more toward outreach efforts that could build relationships.

Locally, the departments are earning some praise for their efforts.

Robert Johnson Sr., former president for the NAACP's South Brevard chapter, said the Palm Bay Police Department is doing well with its outreach efforts and praised the current and previous chiefs. Besides the department's own version of "Shop with a Cop," officers have been holding "Coffee with a Cop" events where residents can meet with police to talk about anything.

"I'd rank them No. 1," Johnson said. "They have their arms outstretched to the community."

In Palm Bay, they began their "Operation Reindeer Run," where children shop with officers at Walmart, in 2002. It continued with a joint event Dec. 14 with the West Melbourne Police Department.

"We were able to see what was going on" among Palm Bay's poorest young children, said Joni Diapolo, administrative assistant to Palm Bay Police Chief James Rogers. She was on staff for the first Operation Reindeer Run.

Some children may have relatives who have been arrested. And the reputation of a bad officer can permeate some communities.

"In some black communities, if you're a young male, if you say you want to be a police officer, they consider you a traitor," Johnson said. "But we want young people to step up and go into law enforcement. They need to see officers who they can say 'I want to be like him or her.' "

"Shop with a Cop" programs can help provide children a different in-person experience with officers.

"We're not the bad guys," Diapolo said. "They should know that just because they see an officer, they aren't going to be in trouble."

Some of the officers have forged long-term connections with the children they meet in the program, Diapolo said.

In the least, officers hope the shopping excursions provide some positive memories for the children.

"You're with them in the store for half an hour," Diapolo said. "But the kids will remember it all their lives."

Palm Bay Lt. Mike Bandish said Operation Reindeer Run and Coffee with a Cop fits in with other outreach initiatives the department has, as well as the police's presence on social media. It gives the community more of an opportunity to meet and trust officers.

"We solve a lot of crimes with help from the community," Bandish said. "Sometimes we get these crimes where no one wants to talk."